‘Mr. Baseball’ taught us about the sport; he told us stories that made us laugh; he informed us of what was happening when it was important.
‘Mr. Baseball’ taught us about the sport; he told us stories that made us laugh; he informed us of what was happening when it was important.
B ob Uecker, legendary announcer, entertainer, and former MLB player, died Thursday. He was 90.
Known for his deadpan wit and self-deprecating stories, Uecker will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. He was a backup catcher for his years in Milwaukee, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Atlanta, a solid defender, though a .200 career hitter, a fact he managed to bring up often, and always with a smile. That said, he managed to win a World Series from the bench. After his career ended as a player, he joined the Milwaukee Brewers’ radio booth in 1971, where he called games for the last 54 seasons. He also worked national games for ABC and NBC, including the postseason. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 as the recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.
To many of his fans, baseball broadcasting was secondary to his work in entertainment. He appeared over 100 times on The Tonight Show, mostly with Johnny Carson, who gave Uecker the sobriquet “Mr. Baseball.” There are dozens of clips online of Uecker telling stories of his playing days to Carson, who would crack up and often have trouble catching his breath from laughing so hard. He was in many commercials for Miller Lite, starred in the Mr. Belvedere sitcom, and the Major League movies, which are quoted so often to this day that it is difficult to believe they debuted in 1989–1998. That is an excellent example of the timelessness of Uecker’s humor. . . . He was funny then, and he was funny calling games last season for the Brewers in 2024.
Bob’s catchphrases are numerous and will be repeated long after his passing. In Major League, after a young pitcher fires a pitch several feet from the plate, Uecker’s character, Harry Doyle, dryly observes, “Juuuuuuuust a bit outside.” This has been said by a fan after every pitch that has missed the strike zone by a lot for the past 35 years, and it will be said long after we are all forgotten.
In one of the Miller Lite ads, when an usher removes Uecker from his seat, he looks toward the field and says, “I must be in the front row!” There’s a cut, and Bob is next seen relegated to the near-empty upper deck. Milwaukee has obstructed-view seats that are sold only on the day of the game, lovingly called “Uecker seats,” as well as a statue of him sitting on a seat behind a pole. On many TV broadcasts, when returning from a break, they will show fans sitting in the seat next to Uecker’s likeness, taking pictures and laughing.
As a Wisconsin boy, Uecker’s passing hits especially hard. Almost every day of my summers growing up was spent listening to Uecker on the radio. Now, of course, many of us watch most games on TV or DVR them if we are working. Last season, every single game was televised, and I missed only a handful. But, growing up, games on TV were a rare treat; perhaps only 20–40 games per year were available. For us, the voice of Bob Uecker was our earliest memory of baseball, and, to this day, is what we think of when Brewers’ baseball is mentioned. My pinned post on X is Uecker calling a walk-off grand slam win a few years ago, with his signature “Get up, get up, get outta here, gone” call. A sign in American Family Field flashes this beloved call after every Brewers’ home run.
While he often told stories for laughs, in a close game or tense moment, there was nothing but that particular moment of baseball being talked about. If the game was a blowout, that’s when the humor and funny stories would be told, and it was glorious. Bob was the ultimate homer, and we loved him for it. He rooted openly for the Brewers and didn’t care if that bothered folks. The disgust in his voice when an opponent made a diving catch or hit a home run off the Crew’s hurler was obvious.
He wore his heart on his sleeve, and his emotions were part of the game for many of us.
Bob Uecker is why many became baseball fans and remain Brewers fans to this day. Personally, one of my annual rituals is on or just before Opening Day, I watch Uecker’s Hall of Fame induction speech. It is hilarious, a compilation of his best material. One of my favorite moments is watching great ballplayers like Joe Morgan and George Brett wipe away tears of laughter. Another is when he voices disgust that he didn’t make it in as a player. Many have mentioned he never looks down at his notes. . . . He didn’t have any. He ad-libbed the entire speech. It encapsulates everything I love about Bob.
After news of Bob’s passing became public, my X feed can best be described as somber. Several people have admitted that they are in tears. I guess the best way I can describe it is that it’s almost like everyone lost their grandpa on the same day. Bob taught us about the sport; he told us stories that made us laugh; he informed us of what was happening when it was important.
We are better because of it. Thank you, sir, for sharing your talents and your life with us.